Wordpress does NOT protect your privacy

I just found out that anyone can look up my domain name (purchased and hosted here at WordPress) on WHOIS, follow the link to view the owner then through copying and pasting a certain line on a certain info page, then entering one of those "secure" series of letters or numbers to make sure its actually a human using the comptuer, can find out my name and address. Other hosts do not let this happen. This really makes me mad!

They also make it very difficult to point your domain name anywhere else. I have followed exactly the instructions given, been on the phone three times with the domain management people and still get errors and am unable to point my domain where I would like to.

If privacy is a concern (and I know many people don't want their names, addresses and phone numbers directly linked to their blog) then yes, you should register your domain elsewhere as Automattic do not currently offer an option to keep your WHOIS information private. Obviously it's not in their interests to send people elsewhere to buy domains, so this isn't something they are going to warn you about. But there's nothing to stop you purchasing a private domain from another registrar and mapping it to your wp.com blog.

I am not sure if the domain name protocols prevents a redirect within sixty days. It believe it may prohibit a registration transfer but I think that's all. IMO the best way to get confirmation of particulars is to contact staff using this link http://wordpress.com/contact-support/

Until a domain is 60 days old it cannot be transferred to a host that will provide the privacy. Once it has reached 60 days - which is something ICANN set, not us - you can move it away. You need the 'Auth code' inside the domain control panel

There are other hosts who do not provide privacy guards and it is not standard. In fact, buy a .us domain and it is prohibited by US law to have any privacy features. We are doing nothing wrong.

In general, if you are going to be online, a sufficiently determined person can usually figure out who you are.

Example:
When I post a comment, wordpress logs my IP. From that, you can come to some pretty accurate conclusions about my location and employer.
From my blog, you can combine that with some guesses about my identity.

Unfortunately, that's the nature of the beast, unless you want to go through some elaborate spoofing. :(

I've had my own domains hosted elsewhere and if you don't use either a proxy service to purchase your domain or buy domain privacy from your registrar, then, yes, your private information is available to anyone who is interested in looking it up in a whois search. That's the way it works and it has nothing to do with WP.com

However, if you are talking about your blog hosted on yourname.wordpress.com, I'd be very interested in knowing if you can find your private info in a whois search.

It's not unusual. If you buy a domain name from anyone, expect your details to be listed in WHOIS unless you specifically get privacy with it. I buy privacy with all mine (1 cent per day is very affordable!) There are plenty of options out there. :)

thesacredpath, blogs at wordpress.com won't show any of our private information. But I've been wondering if it will if we ever purchase any upgrades. But that damn Whois is the reason why I still haven't and probably will never buy my own domain. If people want privacy, then maybe get a P.O. Box or use someone else's name and address and phone number. With consent of course.